Operating method and device for operating automated container quay cranes

ABSTRACT

An operating method for container quay cranes used to load and unload container ships aided by a PC with a monitor in a crane driver&#39;s cabin. 
     The crane driver operates a touchscreen on the monitor, thereby enabling the crane to reach its specified target in a fully or partially automatic manner. 
     Several operating modes, including a training mode, are provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It appears to be impossible for the foreseeable future to replace acrane operator of container quay cranes with an automatic control.Today's container quay cranes are therefore operated in a semi-automaticfashion. Such semi-automatic operation has been successfullyimplemented.

However, the loading/unloading capability of these cranes lags behindexpectations. The reason for this is that the majority of the craneoperators have difficulties operating the automatic functions. What islacking so far is a suitable man-machine interface which optimizes theinteraction between the crane operator and the automatic control, aswell as a corresponding operating method.

Thus far, various switches, pushbuttons and indicator lamps have beenprovided in the consoles of the crane operator's seat for operating theautomatic control. However, these simple means give the crane operatorinsufficient information about the operating state of the automaticcontrol, about the targets to be reached next by the automatic control,about error or warning messages, and/or about other operating states ofthe automatic control. In addition, these simple means limit a possibleintervention in the automatic control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention solves the aforedescribed technical problem in thefollowing manner:

-   a) All operating and display elements are effectively combined on a    touch screen. The touch screen is located on the right side next to    and within reach of the crane operator's seat. This eliminates the    operating knobs, pushbuttons and indicator lamps which were hitherto    distributed in an often confusing and non-standard manner across the    console of the crane operator's seat.-   b) All essential control commands transmitted to the automatic    control are entered on the touch screen by touching touch sensors.-   c) All important information received from the automatic control are    displayed on the touch screen.-   d) A computer is associated with the touch screen. The computer    processes the signals for display to the crane operator in ergonomic    form.-   e) The same computer also computes the target parameters for the    automatic travel. Conventional solutions have so far left this task    to the crane control, which resulted in many different non-standard    solutions beset with errors.

The ergonomically constructed touch screen operator interface allows thecrane operator, on one hand, to optimally observe the actions of theautomatic control and, if necessary, to easily and safely intervene. Onthe other hand, the MMI touch screen can also provide the crane operatorwith instructions in the form of visual and optionally acousticmessages. This optimizes the exchange between automatic and manualoperation.

According to the invention, crane operators which are frequentlyassigned to the different cranes with a different automation system,need no longer review an operating manual for the automatic operationbefore operating an automatic crane. Crane operators do not like andtherefore frequently avoid reviewing operating instructions, relying ontheir memory instead. This can lead to mistakes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be morereadily apparent upon reading the following description of currentlypreferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a touch screen display for setting a main operating mode;

FIG. 2 shows a touch screen display for labeling container positions ona ship;

FIG. 3 shows a touch screen display for defining a container targetposition:

FIG. 4 shows a touch screen display for defining a container lead;

FIG. 5 shows a touch screen display for positioning a container on aship; and

FIG. 6 shows a touch screen display in a training mode.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generallyindicated by same reference numerals. These depicted embodiments are tobe understood as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting inany way.

When starting work on the crane, the crane operator turns on the touchscreen. He then sees on the touch screen the image according to FIG. 1.

Color Selection

White background Messages (text, numbers) Orange background Touch field,function not activated Green background Touch field, function activatedLight blue Target indication Gray Crane outline Red End positions PurpleShip outline Yellow Message bar

Advantageously, a dark blue background is selected to enhancevisibility. Visualization by selecting suitable colors is importantsince the high workload can cause a significant decrease in the mentalconcentration of the crane operator during a shift. A blue backgroundcolor is particularly advantageous for the following reasons:

-   -   it prevents glare from the touch screen to the crane operator at        night    -   it highlights the display fields and the operating button

OPERATING MODE

1. The Crane Operator Starts Work with the Help of a Basic Setup Page.

Initially, the crane operator has to enter the basic settings for theautomatic operation with the following operating steps:

1.1 Setting the Main Operating Mode

The crane operator can switch the automatic operation on and off byusing a switch which for safety reasons is the only operating componentthat is not located on the touch screen. The selection by the externalswitch is indicated on the touch screen in the uppermost row of FIG. 1by a color change of the corresponding display field to green.

1.2 Selecting the Operating Mode

The crane operator has hereby 3 possibilities:

-   -   Switching between fully automatic travel (in particular for        bridging the large distance between land side and water side        without introducing oscillations) and conventional operation        (typically for fine-positioning of the load above the target, in        particular on the ship).    -   Switching between automatic operation (again for overcoming the        large distance) and manual operation with, i.e. for controlling        the speed of the load (also for fine positioning of the load).    -   Function “Calming Oscillations” (arresting and positioning the        load on the target after previous operation without oscillation        control)

1.3 Loading/Unloading Mode

-   -   Vertically/cyclically Unloading or loading the container always        in the same row on the ship    -   Horizontally Removing or stacking the containers layer-by-layer

1.4 Intermediate Stop

When selecting the function Intermediate Stop, the containers are notdirectly transported to the corresponding target by the automaticcontrol, but are first brought to rest at an intermediate stop position.This intermediate stop position is located on the land side below thecrane. There, either the custom seal of the container is checked and/orthe automatic twist locks are inserted in or removed from the bottom ofthe containers. After these task have been completed, the automaticcontrol directs the container to the actual target.

1.5 Number of Rows in the Bay

Here, the crane operator informs the automatic control of the number ofrows of containers that are located in the ship's bay to be processed.The crane operator can increase or decrease the number of rows by usingpushbuttons labeled “More” or “Less”. The display field located betweenthe two pushbuttons indicates the number of rows previously set by thecrane operator.

1.6 Ship's Bow

The crane operator can indicate to the automatic control if the bow ofthe ship in front of him is located to the left or to the right of hisposition. The automatic control can use this information together withthe information about the number of rows in the bay to insert thecorrect numbering of the container positions on the ship into the imagedepicted in FIG. 2. Further details can be found in the description ofFIG. 2.

1.7 Training Operation

When selecting the mode Training Operation, the crane operator cansimulate to the automatic control by using a suitable pushbutton that acontainer was unloaded or received on the ship or the land side. It isthe goal to allow switching of the target between ship side and landside even if no ship, on which container can be loaded or unloaded, iscurrently present. This functionality is necessary, since craneoperators have to first train without a ship before beginning with theloading/unloading operation.

After completing the basic settings, the crane operator touches thebutton “To Page Automatic Operation” in the lower right part of FIG. 1,thereby arriving at the actual operating page depicted in FIG. 2.

2. Page “Automatic Operation”

The crane operator keeps the page “Automatic Operation” permanentlyswitched on when working on the ship. Changing to another page maydistract the crane operator from his task, potentially leading todangerous situations. For this reason, all relevant information andoperating elements are included on the page “Automatic Operation” inergonomic form.

The displayed image is essentially divided into three parts.

The water side (ship side) of the crane is located in the upper half ofthe image (above the yellow message bar).

The land side of the crane is depicted in the lower right half of theimage.

Those operating data, which the crane operator has to monitorcontinuously, are depicted in the lower left section of the displayedimage.

2.1 The Water Side

2.1.1 Crane Frame

The crane frame and—in the lower right corner—the quay edge are depictedin a gray color.

2.1.2 Travel Direction of the Crab and Lifting Assembly

The white triangles in the crane frame represent arrow heads, whichchange to a green color in the direction in which the crane crab moves.The same applies to the arrow heads in the vertical crane leg when theload moves in the direction Raising or Lowering.

2.1.3 Limit Switch

The color of the small white rectangles in front of the arrow headschanges to red when the crab and/or the lifting gear reaches thecorresponding limit switch.

2.1.4 Container Positions and Target Settings

The cross section of the ship is schematically indicated below thewater-side crane jib. The container positions on or in the ship aredepicted by numbered rectangular fields which represent the containerreceiving shafts below deck or the uppermost row of the containersloaded on deck.

The containers located below have been deliberately omitted, since theyare irrelevant for the crane operator's operations. Displaying redundantinformation would distract the crane operator and hence impede thesafety of the operation.

The number of rectangles corresponds to the number of rows in the bayentered by the crane operator under “Number of Rows in the Bay” whenentering the basic settings.

A display field with a white background is located in the center of therectangles and shows the number of the row according to an internationalstandard. Rows on the starboard side of the ship are indicated with oddnumbers in ascending order from the center of the ship to the outside.Rows on the port side of the ship are indicated with even numbers inascending order from the center of the ship to the outside. If the shiphas an odd number of rows, then the center rows has the number 0.Conversely, if the ship has an even number of rows, then the row 0 isomitted. The computer associated with the touch screen enters thenumbers in the display fields of the rectangles depending on the numberof rows in the bay and the particular situation, i.e., if the bow of theship is positioned to the right, i.e. the starboard side is near thequay edge, and vice versa. This provides the crane operator with adirect correlation between the load manifest and the visualization onthe touch screen.

TARGET DEFINITION

The container rectangles also indicate to the crane operator the targetthat the automatic control is traveling to next. The border around thenumber field inside the rectangles then changes its color from gray tolight blue, if the automatic control has determined that this row is tobe the target for the automatic travel towards the ship side. Theinterior of the indicator field of the row number can also be coloredlight blue. This change in color indicates the last target to which theautomatic control has traveled. This provides the crane operator with apoint of reference between the previous target and the next targetduring automatic travel.

CHANGE OF TARGETS

The computer associated with the touch screen computes the next targetdepending if horizontal or vertical loading/unloading has been selectedor if the ship is unloaded or loaded. In vertical operation, the targetwill be identical to the target in the last operation. In horizontaloperation, one moves by one row farther towards the land side than inthe previous operation. In horizontal loading, the next target is onerow farther towards the water side than in the previous operation.

If the crane operator wants to change the target, he can use the touchbutton labeled “+” or “−”. When activating the “+” button, the targetjumps by one row farther towards the water side. When the “−” button isactivated, the target jumps by one row farther towards the land side.The target can be shifted by several rows by pressing the button severaltimes. The light blue border around the number field then jumps to thenewly defined field. This gives the crane operator full control of theset target (see FIG. 3).

2.1.5 Target Position Lead

In the upper right corner, the touch button “Lead LS” (Lead Land Side)is located.

In a horizontal loading/unloading operation, the crane operatorfrequently does not want the automatic control to not move the loaddirectly to the target position located exactly above the intendedcontainer row, but wants the load to come to rest approximately half ameter closer to the land side (coming to rest is intended to indicatebeing suspended above the target, without swaying or oscillating). Thisenables the crane operator to conveniently lean the load softly againstthe adjacent container—this time in manual operation. If the automaticcontrol were to move the load directly above the target, then the craneoperator would have to first manually move the load a small distancetowards the land side, then lower the load, and then again manually leanthe load against the adjacent container towards the water side. This isnecessary because the load typically performs a more or less severe skewoscillation (rotation oscillation about the vertical axis), so thatthere is a danger that, when the load is lowered, one corner bumpsagainst the neighboring container. (Activation of the function see FIG.4)

Conversely, a touch button “Lead WS” (Lead Water Side) is provided inthe upper left region of the image when the containers are intended tolean against the neighboring container from the water side.

2.1.6 Target Jumps to the Water Side or Land Side End of the Ship

During horizontal loading and unloading operation, it occurs regularlythat the loading and/or unloading operation on the land side or waterside edge of the ship should be continued. For this reason, twoadditional touch buttons “Towards LS” (towards the land side) and“Towards WS” (towards the water side) are displayed for the basicsettings according to FIG. 1 on the image shown in FIG. 2 when selectingthe horizontal loading/unloading operation. The crane operator can theninitiate a target jump to either the container row closest to the landside or to the container row located farthest to the water side.

2.1.7 Teach Function

A large touch button “input target height ship” which has two Teachfunctions is located in the center of the container rectangles.

2.1.7.1 Input Target Height Ship

At the beginning of the operation, the crane operator moves the loadabove the ship to the desired height and pushes the above-referencedtouch button. This height is then assumed to be the target height forthe subsequent automatic travel. The height can be reset for alladditional travel by again pushing this button.

2.1.7.2 Input Container Row

After inputting the target height, the text on the touch button changesto “Input Actual Container Row.” This operation occurs only during thefirst travel to the ship. The automatic control computes the most likelyrow based on the actual geometric data which corresponds to the actualposition and indicates the result by changing the color of thecorresponding rectangles to yellow. However, if the automatic hasmiscalculated this first indicated row, then the crane operator cancorrect this by pushing the button “+” or “−” and confirm the result bypressing the touch button (see FIG. 5). For all subsequent travel, thetouch button displays again the text “Input Target Height Ship.” It thisway, the crane operator can correct the target height above the ship foreach travel, if desired.

2.1.8 Simulation and Display “Unlocked-Locked”

The touch button, indicated in the image of FIG. 2 in green with thetext “Unlocked” is only displayed if “Training Operation” was selectedin FIG. 1. This function simulates to the automatic control that acontainer is attached or detached, i.e., locked and unlocked. Theautomatic control then switches the targets between land side and waterside. “Unlocked” is typically indicated by a color change to green,whereas the locked state is indicated by a color change to red.Accordingly, the touch button takes on either a green or a red color. Bytouching the button, the state changes from Locked to Unlocked and viceversa (see FIG. 6).

2.2 Land Side

2.2.1 Travel Direction, Limit Switch, Crab Position

In the image depicted in FIG. 2, the land side of the crane is indicatedin the lower right quarter of the image. The crane frame as well as thequay is again schematically indicated in gray. The touch button forswitching to the page “Basic Settings” (according to FIG. 1) is locatedin the area of the quay. Also located in areas of the crane frame arethe triangular arrows and the limit switch bars for the crab and liftingmotion as well as an indication when the limit switch has been reached,as described above in section 2.1.2 and 2.1.3. On the upper right side,the position of the crab is indicated on the land side crane jib by ared rectangle. The rectangle moves with the movement of the crab overthe crane jib and jumps to the crane jib in the upper section of theimage, when the triangle reaches the water side of the crane. Whenreturning to the land side, the right rectangle jumps back to the landside jib section.

The load suspended from the crab is intentionally omitted, since thecrane operator obtains better information by looking out of the windowof the crane cabin.

2.2.2 Park Position

The touch button “Parkp.” (Park position) is located in the centerbetween the crane legs. When touching this button, the automaticreceives the Park position of the crane crab as the target for the nextautomatic travel.

2.2.3 Land Side Targets

A container symbol indicated with the label “VC-Pos.” (Van CarrierPosition) is located on the lower right side of the image. A colorchange of the grey interior area to light blue indicates that theautomatic control has selected the land side target as the next targetfor the next automatic travel.

If the function “Intermediate Stop” was activated in the image “BasicSettings” (according to FIG. 1), then the automatic control makes anintermediate stop at the so-called lashing position during travel fromthe ship side towards the land side, before continuing to the intendedtarget “Van Carrier Position.”

2.3 Data Display Field

The operating data that have to be constantly available to the craneoperator are displayed in the lower left quarter of the image (FIG. 2):

-   -   Load weight in t lifting gear 1 (HW 1), lifting gear 2 (HW 2),        and sum of the load weight of lifting gear 1+2    -   Lifting height—actual values for lifting gear 1+2    -   Wind force    -   Position of the spreader (in crab direction, i.e. horizontal        component) and of the crab itself    -   Automatic operation switched on or switched off; if switched on,        corresponding operating step of the automatic control    -   Active load of container loading/unloading (vertical or        horizontal, with or without intermediate stop, loading or        unloading) Note: the automatic control independently determines        if loading or unloading takes place. If the first container is        grasped on the ship after the start of the operation, then an        unloading operation occurs; if the container is grasped on the        land side, then a loading operation occurs.    -   Coordinates of the next target selected by the automatic

2.4 Message Bar

The horizontal message bar in the center of the image informs the craneoperator about all states of the crane automatic control:

State Display Color Blinking Normal operation Currently running processYellow No Automatic requires Required action Yellow Yes action from thecrane operator Malfunction Indication, possible Orange Yes cause(s),required remedies Warning Indication, possible cause(s), Red Yespossibly required remedies

Optical signals can be enhanced by announcing text when the computerassociated with the touch screen is provided with a sound card.

The currently preferred embodiments shown and described in detail werechosen and described in order to best explain the principles of theinvention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilledin the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments withvarious modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent isset forth in the appended claims and their equivalents:

1. A method for operating a container quay crane for loading andunloading of containers to and from a vessel, with a computer monitorhaving a touch screen in a crane operator's cabin, comprising the stepsof entering parameters on the touch screen in a training mode,transmitting the parameters to a computer, the computer simulating theloading and unloading of the vessel, betore actually controlling thecrane in a fully or partially automatic manner for moving the crane to acontainer target position.
 2. The method according to claim 1, andfurther comprising the step of setting parameters defining the containertarget position.
 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein thecontainer target position is displayed on the touch screen before beingreached by the crane.
 4. The method according to claim 1, and furthercomprising an operating mode selected from the group consisting ofTarget Position Lead and Loading and Unloading mode.
 5. The methodaccording to claim 4, and further comprising the step of switchingbetween the operating modes.
 6. The method according to claim 4, whereinthe operating modes comprise fully automatic travel or fine-positioning,or both.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the touch screendisplays actions to be performed by the crane operator.